Tube or pebble mill.



No. 863,483. .l

PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907.

R. P. ABBE?.

TUBE 0R PEBBLE MILL. APPLIoATIoN FILED JULY a, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

RICHARD F. ABB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TUBE OR PEBBLE MILL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application led July 8, 1905. Serial N0. 268,768.

To all whom 'it-may concern:

Be it knownl that I, RICHARD F, ABBE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tube` or Pebble Mills, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to tube or pebble mills in which stones or pebbles, etc., in motion are used for grinding and pulverizing such materials as cement, ores, chemicals, metal borings, vegetable roots, barks, etc.: and more particularly to an improved construction of such mills whereby I obtain a balancing about a center of rotation of the loads within a plurality of pebble tubes or cylinders and at the same time secure an automatic feeding of the materials to be ground into and out of the various tubes while in motion.

My mill has the advantages of a maximum capacity with a minimum of turning effort, and moreover attains these results along with a constant automatic feed of the materials through the mill as it operates.

One form of construction whereby I secure these effects is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figurel is a vertical longitudinal section, -partly in elevation, through the line l-l of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 with the right hand bearing omitted; Figs. 3 to l0 inclusive are enlarged detail views of various parts of the apparatus,-Fig. 4 being a plan view of a conduit, Fig. 3 an end view of the same conduit seen in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 4, Fig. 6 a side elevation of a gudgeon, Fig. 5 a bottom plan view of said gudgeon seen in the direction of the arrow on Fig. 6,-Figs. 7 and 8 side and end views, respectively, of a device hereinafter designated a saddle, and Figs. 9 and 10, a side and top view, respectively, of a guide device. Fig. 11 is an end view of one of the cylinders with the parts connected therewith removed. Fig. l2 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, to show a modified form of spiral ridges; and Fig. 13, a view of Fig. 12 on the line 13 looking in the direction of the arrow.

In the construction illustrated, I show threev tubes or cylinders, A, B, O, bound together and mounted to rotate about a common axis. I do not limit myself, however, to this particular number of cylinders since most any plurality of cylinders may be employed to secure the effects of my invention.. In my preferred construction I secure the cylinders symmetricallygas shownaboutashaft 1in such manner to rotate as therewith. Upon this shaft are secured gudgeons or hollow members 2 2, which in turn rotate in the bearings 3 3.

The gudgeons are each secured rigidly to the ends of the shaft, preferably by providing a square hole 4 (see Fig. 5) in the bottoms of the gudgeons and a square portion 5 on each end of the shaft to lit said square lioles. This secures the gudgeons against rotary Inotion on the shaft, while the shoulders 6 and nuts 7 and 8 secure them against longitudinal motion.

The means for securing the cylinders rigidly to the shaft comprise, lst, a device 9'which I conveniently call a saddle and which in the case of three cylinders is triangular in general cross-section, the faces of the triangle being curved to conform with the curvature of the cylinders. A central hole l0 is provided in the saddle to receive the shaft l. The band 11 surrounds the cylinders and is provided with a suitable connecting device 12 to join its free ends. This band, when tightened acts in an obvious manner to bind the cylvinders rigidly together against the curved sides of the saddle. v

The cylinders are further secured together by means of bolts vpassed through holes 13 (see Fig. 11) in the heads 14 of the cylinders and through corresponding holes 15 (see Fig. 5) in the flanges ofthe gudgeons. Compare Fig. 2, which shows these parts assembled. In this way I secure rigidly together' the shaft, the gudgeons, and the three cylinders with the latter sym metrically disposed about the shaft. Obviously, however, other means for binding these parts together may be employed. It may further be noted that increasing the length of the cylinders may require increasing the number of saddles and binding straps in order to properly support the middle portions of the lengthened cylinders.

To rotate the cylinders, shaft and gudgeons on the bearings 3-3, 1 prefer to key a gear-wheel 16 on the left hand gudgeon (see Fig. l). This gear wheel meshes with a pinion 17 which in turn rigid on the same shaft with the driving pulley 18. yiObviously, when the driving pulley is driven inthe direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, the gear wheel 16 and the cylinders will be caused to rotate in the opposite direction.

In the hollow interior of the gudgeons I provide spiral ridges 19 which may be fitted and secured therein in any suitable manner. The twist of these spirals is such as to cause them to both deliver in the same direction when the gudgeons are rotated.V Thus the left hand spiral in Fig. l delivers to the right towards the cylinders and the right hand spiral delivers also to the right and consequently away from the cylinders. 5

Openings 20 are provided in both heads of each cylinder, the left hand openings in Fig. 1 constituting the entrance openings and the right hand the exit openings. These openings in the cylinders connect with the interiors of the gudgeons by means of conduits 21. A pair of these conduits is'shown in cross-section in Fig. l. A detached conduit is shown in elevation in Figs. 3 and 4, Fig. 3 being an end view and Fig. 4 a top plan view. It will be noted that these conduits are semi-circular in cross-section, but, of course, this is not anessential feature. However, I prefer to use the conduit shown, since it is efficient, compact and easily constructed. These conduits are secured in place by bolts passed through holes 22 in the flanges of the conduits, (sec Fig. 2 and 4) and through corresponding holes 23 in the ends of the cylinders. As shown, the flat side of the conduits rests against the ends of the cylinders with the scniicircular openings 24 of the conduits connecting with inclined passageways 25 through the walls of the gudgeons. The openings at the other end oi the conduits are circular in outline in the construction shown (see Fig. 2) and communicate with the openings in the ends ol the cylinders. Since there are three of these conduits at each end'ot` the mill shown, there are necessarily three of these inclined passageways 25 in each gudgeon. These are symmetrically disposed as will be seen from an inspection oi Fig. 5 which is an end clevation oi the gudgeon shown in Fig. G, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Secured to the right hand end (see Fig. l) oi the shaft 1 between the nuts 7 and 8 is a so-called guiding device 2G. This is shown in side elevation in Fig. 9 and in top plan view in Fig. l0 and may consist ol` metal formed in any suitable manner into the shape shown, whiclim-.ty be conveniently described as comprising a top portion 27 having a circular opening 28 and inclined side portions 29 connecting with said top portion. The interior oi the guiding device shown is hollow.

The device is secured to the end oi the shaft by inserting the shaft through the hole 28 in the device with the nut 7 in its interior. The other nut 8 is then screwed into place and secures and clamps the device rigid on the shaft. The device is so positioned that its inclined laces 29 are opposite the inclined passageways in the gudgeon,that is to say in the position shown in,

Fig. 2.

Any convenient means may be employed for initially delivering the raw material to be ground into theh left hand gudgeon in Fig. 1,-such means forming no essential part oi my present invention. In Fig. l these means comprise a hopper 30 delivering through certain apparatus adapted to regulate the quantity oi raw material delivered from the hopper down the inclined pipe 3l into the left hand gudgeon.

In Fig. 1 a spiral ridge 19 is shown in the left hand gudgeon of substantially identical construction with that shown in the right hand gudgeon. l prefer, however, to employ in the left hand gudgeon the construction of spiral ridges illustrated in Figs. l2 and 13, wherein three spiral ridges 32 are provided, each making approximately a third of a turn in the interior of the gudgeon, and each being so located as to deliver the material into one oi the inclined passageways in the gudgeon. Such construction of the spirals in the left hand gudgeon is to be preferred over that shown in Fig. l, because the single spiral of Fig. l will tend to deliver the material in greater proportion to that passageway in the gudgeon which is located immediately ahead of the delivery end of the spiral.

The operation of the foregoing devices will now be described. The cylinders having been filled through manholes x with the required quantity of pebbles or other grinding materials, and having been set in motion, the raw materials are delivered down the inclined pipe 31 into the left hand gudgeon so that they fall upon the spiral ridges secured to the interior thereof, which thereupon by screw action automatically iced the materials toward the conduits, leading to the cylinders. The effect of this is to cause the fed materials to drop by gravity into those conduits that happen in the course oi rotation to be below the level of the gudgeon. Thus in Fig. 2 the material would drop into the two cylinders B, C the upper cylinder, of course, receiving nothing. In this way the cylinders are constantly and automatically receiving materials to be ground, as they are fed forward by screw action through the gudgeon. The materials after they drop into the cylinders are thereupon ground and pulverized as in an ordinary pebble mill. This action will continue until the material accumulates sufficiently to reach the openings 20 in the right hand ends of the cylinders when said cylinders are in the position of A in Fig. l. At such time portions of the material in this cylinder will overflow and fall through its conduit into the right hand gudgeon, Of course, the other two cylinders when in the position shown in Figs. l and 2 will not deliver anything into the right hand gudgeon because they are both located at this particular moment below the level oi said gudgeon. As the material falls from each cylinder when in its uppermost position, the tendency would be for such material to fall, aj least in part, down through the conduits connecting the gudgeon with the lower cyinders, were it not for the guiding device 26. The inclined surfaces 29 of this device act to receive the material as it falls and to direct same away from said lower conduits and upon the spiral ridges in the interior of the gudgeon.

What I claim iszl. In a pebble mill, the combination of a plurality of receptacles secured together about an axis of rotation and each provided with an entrance opening and an exit opening, means for rotating said receptacles about said axis, a gudgeon at each end of said receptacles and rotatable therewith, conduits leading from one gudgeon to the entrance openings of the receptacles, conduits leading from the exit openings of the receptacles to the other gudgeon and spiral ridges secured in the interior of each gudg'eon.

2. In a pebble mill, the combination of a plurality of receptacles secured together about an axis of rotation and each receptacle having an entrance and an exit opening, means for rotating said receptacles about said axis, a gudgeon at each end of the receptacles and rotatable therewith, conduits leading from one gudgeon to the entrance openings of the receptacles, and conduits leading from the exit openings of the receptacles to the other gudgeon.

3. In a pebble mill, the combination of a plurality of receptacles secured together about an axis of rotation and each receptacle having an entrance opening and an exit opening, 'a gudgeon at each end of the receptacles and 1'0- tatable therewith, means for rotating said receptacles and gudgeons about said axis, conduits leading from one gudgeon to the entrance openings of the receptacles, conduits leading from the exit openings of the receptacles to the other gudgeon, guiding means in the interior of said last named gudgeon to prevent material falling out of a conduit in an elevated position from passing into a conduit or conduits in depressed position, and spiral ridges in the interior of each gudgeon.

4. In a pebble mill, the combination of a plurality of receptacles secured together about an axis of rotation and each provided with an entrance opening at one end and an exit opening at the other end, means for rotating said receptacles about said axis, a gudgeon at the exit end of'said receptacles rotatable therewith, conduits leading from the exit openings of the receptacles to said gudgeon. and a guiding device comprising a plate with a plurality of inclined surfaces secured within said gudgeon for deecting material falling from any one conduit away from the other conduits.

5. lu n pohhlo mill. tht` romhinnton ot' :L roizu'y shnt't, :l plurality of roroplzu'los .soruroxi {o ollnr-to snill slmfl. ouch rrvoptzulo liu-ving' nu vniruuro oponinj.: :ll ono ond und :in exit. oponing :il ils othor/ ond. :unl suill slmlt. lmving; :l squnro portion :uliru'ont ozu'h omi ot' snid rocoplaiolcs und lhrczulcd 0nd portions, n puir of gullgeons hnvin.;r squzu'o oponiugs lilliug.: on the squnrod portions ol' snid slmft, nuts tilting.` on ilu` lhrondoli portions of snid slml'l lo clamp lho glnlg'oons u ninst the ends of tho romplnrlcs, und rondnits loznling.: lrum the respectivo gmlgoons lo tho entrance :nul oxil. oplmings, rosprct-voly, ot Suid rccoplnclcs.

li, ln n lwlnhlo mill. thc oomhinution oi' n plurality of reroptuolos sorurod together :ihout :in :ixis of rotation, und ozu'h provided with :in ontralnrc opening :it ono end und am oxit; opening :it its other und, menus for rotating Said rc l'optnrlcs about Suid axis, :i gullgoon :it thc entrance end ol" sn'nl rocoptau'lcs rotntnhlc thorcwilh, lfriplc spiral ribs in tho intorior oi' snill g'udg'oon, moans for foodinp; the nmtorinl to hc trentini on lo said spiral ribs, und coniluils lend` ing.: trom snid gullgcon Lo tho entrance openings of :lll ol' suid roccpluclcs.

1n testimony whereof, I have signed my nume to this sporilirntion in the presence of two subscribingr witnesses.

RICHARD ll'. ABB.

Witnossns IG. W. Som-mn, Jr., IIlcNnx R. B.\unn. 

